The present invention relates to a toy telephone capable or reproducing human speech, and of ringing a bell in intermittent fashion. It has long been known to build into a toy telephone mechanisms for reproducing human speech and for ringing a bell continuously. Such prior toy telephone mechanisms have not for the most part allowed several different recorded speech messages to be played back and a bell to be rung intermittently.
This invention reproduces recorded messages according to a random selection process and rings a bell, mounted within the toy, in an intermittent fashion. Both features add realism to the operation of the toy.
The operation of the toy is now explained. The user places the telephone handset in the cradle of the housing causing a strut extending out from the interior of the housing at the cradle to be depressed. Alternately, the user can manually depress the strut but the user must continue to depress until that time in the operation of the toy when the handset is removed from the cradle. Furthermore, if the user wants the bell to ring, he must depress at this stage in the operation of the toy one or more of a plurality of buttons located below the dial of the toy.
The user begins operation of the toy by turning the switch located on the housing to the "ON" position. This completes an electrical circuit within the housing causing a motor to drive several mechanisms located therein. If one of the above-mentioned buttons has been depressed, a mechanism for ringing the bell in conjunction with a mechanism to move the bell to the ringing position, both located within the housing, cause the bell to be rung in an intermittent fashion, i.e., the bell is rung for a period of time and then is silent for a comparable period, and this intermittent ringing continues until the handset is removed from the cradle. If none of the above-mentioned buttons have been depressed, then the intermittent ringing does not occur even when the handset is in the cradle or the above-mentioned strut is depressed since the mechanism for ringing the bell is disengaged.
When the handset is removed from the cradle or the above-mentioned strut is released, the mechanism for ringing the bell and the mechanism for moving the bell to a ringing position are disengaged causing the ringing to cease. Moreover, a rotating sound disc is engaged with the stylus in contact with the speaker cone. Depending on which of the several parallel sound grooves is randomly matched to the stylus, one of several recorded messages is reproduced. Once the stylus reaches the end of the groove, the recorded message ceases and no other recorded message is played back. When the handset is again placed into the cradle or the strut is depressed, the stylus is automatically returned to the position above the beginning of the grooves. When the handset is again removed from the cradle or the strut released the recorded message play sequence is repeated; this sequence can be repeated again and again. The toy ceases to operate internally only when the switch is turned to the "OFF" position.